The Tale of A Lost Singer
by BlueEyedRosette
Summary: Maka Albarn is a singer who is tired of the spotlight and has lost a reason to continue her career.  She tries a low-key life, let's see what happens! :D AU! Sorry for the cheesy title.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: WOAH, WOAH, WOAH! Woah. I'm updating before my deadline, and I'm attempting to make a multi-chapter story~? Say whaaa? Well, I'm obvious infected with insanity~ :D Aha, nah, I'm actually currently on a TRS fix. TRS= The Ready Set. Cool hair and electronic nonsense, my version of happiness~ So, why am I telling you this? Well, I was inspired, of course! So, this shall be a story inspired by The Ready Set songs~! 8D ...I'll try to work it out. /x Sooo, in favor of ignoring Rhythms of Love at the moment, I'll be working on this~ The song that inspired this whole sha-bang was Unender by TRS, apparantly it's not on a CD... I found it on Youtube, actually. c: And this chapter was kinda meant to be short, it's sort of an opening of sorts? Not a prologue.. just.. an opening.. thing.. yeah. Imma go get some sleep nao~ :D Kbai, have fun lovelies~! **

**Disclaimer: It's called fanfiction for a reason~**

* * *

><p>She stared out at the crowd from the side of the stage.<p>

It was almost pitch black, there were only figures, no definite shapes. It unnerved her, to be seen but not being able to see the watchers. She sighed, staying in the shadows, her mood as dark as her surroundings.

She was at another gig, something set up by her manager, which happened to be her father. It was a rather nice bar, something one didn't see often, and she would know.

The 20-year-old blonde had had her fair share of traveling. One didn't worry about dust when beer bottles and spilt alcohol posed a much larger threat.

Her main stages were usually music nights at bars like this. Large for a bar, small for a club, homey and many, nice locals. It became a standard for her. After three years of traveling, this became a luxury for the young star. Things always seemed to change. With the few exceptions of her wardrobe, performance, and close friends. Even those seemed subject to change lately.

See, Maka Albarn (the mentioned blonde, 20-year-old), used to be a rather large performer. A C-lister at one point, actually. She was popular for small-town gigs and did covers, though still wrote her own music from time to time. Maka was a fan of pop and trance, singing pieces from the "Top 40*" often. Though, these days she had strayed to alternative, still softer than rock but matched her darkened feelings.

Maka had begun to lose her love of singing. Well, it shouldn't be put that way. She had become tired of the lifestyle that came along with it and the toll it took on her free time and relationships. She had once been the middle of a large collection of friends, accomplices, acquaintances, and the few people she could actually confide in, the ones who she had known before her 'famous-ness' and were truly trust-worthy. Only four people held the last title, for Maka was rather reserved and embarrassed by any type of intimacy, those four people realized this and had stuck by her nonetheless.

This 'embarrassment' stemmed from her broken family. She had never truly forgiven her parents for what they both did, for both were at fault. Though, she did love both of her parents dearly, for giving her a home and raising her, and supporting her when they could. Of course, they didn't have to know that, she was one to enjoy holding grudges.

Maka raked a hand through her curled hair, courtesy of one of her closest friends, Tsubaki. She had spotted another of her close circle, Black Star (who had also recently become Tsubaki's boyfriend), by the brightness of his blue hair. It glowed even brighter than usual under the white strobe lights. Yes, _white_ strobe lights, apparently they existed in the oddest of places.

The pair, Tsubaki and Black Star, was being followed by the only other two members of her closest circle, the Thompson sisters, Elisabeth and Patricia. They had told people multiple times that they preferred Liz and Patti, though. Many times had one been corrected by a slap or a joyous kick in a male's balls. The latter usually administrated by Patti, that girl and her overwhelming exuberance, it was literally insane.

The lights flickered and she looked over at her over-emotional, well, father. She didn't like referring to him as that though, so, manager was usually his title. He gave her a thumbs up and her heart tightened slightly at the tears welling in bright blue eyes that she didn't share. This happened every time. No matter how badly she treated and disowned him, he was always there, supporting from the sidelines. Of course, that_ is_ what his job description called for.

The petite girl sighed, the movement shaking her frame. She hardly ever got nervous, one thing she wasn't feeling at the moment. A mental list of the songs she had picked out for tonight ran through her head and she went over the lyrics of songs she had learnt recently.

The list used to contain female stars, divas and 'things' made of plastic. Recently she had switched to darker things, though she still loved more upbeat rhythms, her heavy heart just couldn't handle it. Britney Spears moved over for Hayley Williams and Ke$ha was trashed in favor of Lacey Sturm*. It greatly helped her heart lighten in the moments she was forced on-stage. It made her feel almost, happy, in a twisted sense. That feeling had become more and more foreign lately, hence the change in playlist.

It only returned, the feeling of 'happiness', when she shared a fun moment with her close-knit group of friends. Most of her older, so-called 'friends' had left her when she had left the larger stages. Groupies became strangers, not that she had really known them in the first place. Those people seemed to only want sex, and she was happily still a virgin.

Maka tucked a sand-blonde piece of hair behind her ear and left the hand trace the curve of her chin before falling back to her side. Her enthusiasm had long since abandoned her, though the feeling of adrenaline remained, the feeling that kept her going. Though, she could feel the urge for a long break. The end of her current career was nearing. This routine was becoming torture, and she wasn't a machinist nor a sadist.

The lights flickered once more, the band members coming onto stage and getting situated at their instruments. The only one she knew was Black Star, for he played the drums at all of her gigs. He was utterly passionate about his current profession and she would never allow anyone else to have the job. It was the least she could offer him. Liz and Patti would play back-up guitar and bass, respectively, if needed, and the same applied for Tsubaki if a keyboardist was required.

She gathered her wits and walked leisurely out onto the stage, smiling slightly when the small crowd cheered and whistled. Maka had been here before and had acquired fans, though they appreciated her attitude, not necessarily her selection of music or appearance. It was refreshing and appreciated. She smiled politely, before smirking at Black Star as the band started playing.

The dark rhythm flowed through her as the opening lyrics played through her head. She prepared herself, swaying slightly and clearing her throat as the first notes ended.

One more glance at the dark mass of meshing blobs and she was ready. Her mouth opened, the time of heartache had arrived once again.

* * *

><p><strong>-"Top 40" refers to the "American Top 40" which airs every Sunday on my local radio station and is usually hosted by Ryan Seacrest.<strong>

**-Hayley Williams is the lead singer of Paramore and Lacey Sturm is the lead singer of Flyleaf.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:****Jeez, I almost typed 'Naruto' instead of 'Note', guess I've been reading too much NaruSasu~ /x Anyways, chapter dos! :D It's short again, I'm sorry. D: But, it kind of sums things up, and I pretty much just wanted to show Maka after-performance. No, no actual performing, yet~ c: (It's sure to be entirely Paramore, so brace yourselves in you're not a fan~ c;) But, yeah, have fun reading~ Oh, I'm going to be editing RoL(Rhythms of Love... I need to add a word that starts with F so it can be dubbed 'RoFL' 8D), soooo, while it's going to be saying RoL's updated (whenever I decide to edit), there probably won't be a chapter for awhile. o:**

**Disclaimer: It's called 'fan'fiction for a reason~**

* * *

><p>The concert was over, leaving the crowd pleased and cheering, also leaving Maka drained, yet relieved. She still liked to sing, it helped her communicate her mood and thoughts, though the judgement that came with it stung immensely. Contrary to tabloids' beliefs, she wasn't the big star she was made out to be, and it scared her that people expected this superstar, this person that wasn't truly her.<p>

She sighed and pulled the edges of her jacket tighter around her body. After 'spilling her guts' in song form to the crowd, she was slightly on edge and not exactly willing to be in a populated area. The jacket acted as a bit of a stress-ball too, as she tugged it whenever she felt overwhelmed or some other, heavy emotion. She chose to not zipper up the jacket she had slipped on as she walked off-stage for this exact reason (and the fact that it was May and in turn rather warm, also contributed). Her slightly-threadbare, blue and green, going on 5 year old zip-up was like a security blanket. So, after being around her long enough and knowing her weird habits, her best friends simply spoke to her face and ignored her after-performance ritual. She took a deep breath as she walked down the stage steps and into the bar portion of the establishment. The twins were the first ones she spotted, as they were on the dance floor portion, dancing with each other as multiple males' eyes bulged. She wasn't feeling the dancing vibe and walked on, towards the bar area.

"Hey, Maka, want us to get you a beer or something?" Black Star asked as she came into view, speaking softer than usual which alerted the blonde to how much _he_ had drank. Then again, Maka noted, he currently had an arm around Tsubaki's waist, as well as a rather, _leering_ expression.

_Thank god, I made that girl take self defense classes._

Maka smirked ruefully before giving the edges of her jacket another good pull and answering Black Star's question. "You know I don't do drinking, 'Star." She stated this as the image of her poor excuse of parents coming to mind. As well as the many girls (honestly, they all seemed straight out of high school, or still in it...) she had found her father with throughout the years.

"Meh, WE'LL GETCHA TO DRINK EVENTUALLY, PIGTAILS!" The bluette yelled out, returning to his normal persona momentarily, and that moment was gone as he fell off the bar stool he had jumped upon.

Maka's eye twitched at the old nickname and resisted the urge to bring her patented Maka-chop back, it had actually been a while since she felt like it was needed (punching and kicking were excellent substitutes), as well as more of those _bothersome_ nicknames. She settled for punching Black Star in the face.

She walked away, leaving Tsubaki to have a minor heart-attack over her, now unconscious (and blissfully quiet), blue-haired boyfriend.

The cool air chilled her anger as she walked out of the bar and into the dark night. Well, the semi-dark night. There were still streetlights, the moon, and the neon of the bar sign, stating the place's name (it was dubbed Roy's Bar, apparently). Out here in one of the more rural places she's visited, she could even spot some constellations. The parking lot wasn't paved, though, and she coughed as she kicked up dirt, making the air dusty and her eyes water-y.

_So much for looking at the 'clear' sky, now._

Maka smiled lightly, trying to stare at the twinkling objects overhead (through the giant dust cloud she didn't know _how_ she had possibly created), before walking towards her tour bus. Yes, she _did_ have a tour bus. A little diva-ish, _maybe_, but it managed to accompany her friends, roadies, and herself. Even though her closest friends happened to also partake in her band and help set up, they had a couple of technicians that were there for the heavy-duty equipment. There used to be a lot of roadies, with both the big performances and big stages, but now they only had Ox Ford and Harvar Éclair. They accomplished their jobs and were friends with everyone else on the tour bus, even with Ox's and Maka's ongoing, well, 'feud' should cover the aspects of it. Her father drove his own car and stayed overnight at hotels (probably with his flavor of the week, no, make that day-and-a-half).

She opened the door of the bus manually and walked up the couple of steps to the 'runway', as it was called by Black Star (who insisted that the girls should use it to 'model' for him, in the end all he got was a Maka-chop and a kick in face, courtesy of Patty). Maka walked past the driver's pit (you had to turn right and walk up another two steps to get to the main area), and the kitchen area, which was opposite their small but sturdy dining table (they used it for their games nights too, but that was beside the point). The female sighed, taking a hair tie off of her wrist and reaching up to mess with her hair. As she held her other hair tie between her teeth, she walked past the bunks(which there were six of, three 'boxes', another Black Star idea, on one side and three on the other) and into the small-ish bus bathroom. There was a shower (with a door, which was surprisingly rare), a toilet, and the sink, which was _in the bathroom_. In the terms of buses, it was pretty epic.*

The blonde took a moment before parting her hair down the middle and gathering up the right side, tying it up in a pigtail, and a minute later the left side was also up. She wasn't entirely sure why, but putting her hair up in pigtails seemed to calm her. Maka figured it was because if she looked a little childish then it gave her an excuse to act equally childish (which came in handy when she was Maka-chopping), though there could be a couple of other reasons.

For one, when her mother decided to be affectionate (in her childhood years), she usually messed with her daughter's similar locks, usually putting them in pigtails, ponytails, or attempting to braid the short strands. Also, when her father was still only _her_ father(yes, that hints that Spirit has 'love' kids), he used to comment on how adorable Maka looked when she had her hair up in twin tails. Even she thought it looked kind of cute on her. Whatever way, pigtails seemed to be equivalent to good, childhood memories, a thing the girl didn't have many of.

She sighed, walking out of the bathroom and past the couple of couches and chairs near the back of the bus. The young blonde opened up the back door, and swung herself, making it look like she was going to splat into the surprisingly white rear of the vehicle, before reaching up and grabbing a hold of the first handle. She hauled herself up to the top of the tour bus, by way of the equally displaced handles, and walked to the middle of the top of the bus, flopped down, and squeezed her legs under the low railing (the only protection one had against falling off said 8 foot tall tour bus). There was now an excuse to zip-up her jacket, but she didn't use it, instead opting for letting the cool night breeze drift through her attire and indirectly calming her.

This was a really nice place, she mused. With the nice people and of course the entertainment (let's not forget the alcohol), one could get used to living in a small town. Who should care that nobody else knows where their hometown is located, the person who grew up there knows and it serves its purpose. The still-young girl smiled softly, remembering her own town. It was similar to this place, only it was quirkier, more dangerous, and larger (more of a city than a rural town). It was called Death City, after all. Though, Maka _did_ miss her hometown, she never got sincerely homesick, for she couldn't find it in herself to find a home to be sick for.

* * *

><p><strong>-Okay, when I went on an RV trip with my parents when I was... well, I was in the 3rd grade, the bus was pretty cool. It had a kitchen (with a fridge and freezer, and a four-whatevertheircalled-stove), a table with a booth on each side, a couch behind the driver's seat, a shower and sink <em>in<em> the bathroom, and a big bed in the back(guess who was volunteered to sleep on the couch). It was extremely uncomfortable, but it worked. So, my parents being annoying by whenever we go to car shows(my parents are split now) look at all the RVs. I was surprised to find that not only do bathrooms usually barely fit one person, but that the sinks are usually outside the bathroom. (Gross, if you ask me. Dx) Plus, they usually have very simple kitchens (maybe with a stove and fridge) and just a table, or a small sitting area. I was pretty shocked, especially when I remembered how much my dad had banged up our RV. So, by the tour bus description, it might seem kind of, quaint? Though, it probably cost a rather large and pretty penny. (Probably from Spirit's bank account.) (;**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Ahh, I think I've figured out the not-exactly-joy of filler chapters~ :D ... So, yeah. I was in Virginia Beach on vacation most of last week. Then I had my terribly, awful dance recital yesterday. I failed, it was epic. c: Anyways. Up until right before the 'Nooez, I wunts the Mickey D's~! D:' part was written.. 2 weeks ago? And the rest was written either last night or in the two hours I've been productive today. |: It's been a tiring summer so far. =.=**

**Soul's not going to be in this for.. Gah, my story notes are on my other laptop. Dx -eckhem- Soul and Kidd 'probably' won't show up for.. 2 more chapters, I believe. If I mention Kidd in here, it was a fluke, I forgot I wasn't supposed to be using him yet~ Dx -snickers- 'Using him.' So some parts might be choppy because I had to delete the Kidd-related sentences.**

**It's short, again. ;w; Gomen, gomen. -sobs- And, next chapter won't be up until next week when I'm back at my mom's(with my usual laptop ^^).**

**Disclaimer: It's called 'fan'fiction for a reason~**

* * *

><p>"I, AS THE GOD OF THIS BUS, DEMAND THAT WE STOP FOR MCDONALD'S!"<p>

"Black Star, just shut up ALREADY!"

Maka sighed, rubbing her hands over her face as Black Star went all 'I-am-God' complex and Liz politely told him to 'jump off the nearest cliff and we'll see how godly you are'.

It was a traveling day; no hope of escape in sight.

A traveling day was basically what the name suggested: a full day of traveling from one place to another with the immense joy of few stops, little amusement, and limited space.

Everyone absolutely _despised_ these days.

Tsubaki was currently driving and Liz _had_ been sleeping, until about half an hour ago when Black Star had passed his quiet quota and started spewing god-related nonsense.

"NOOOOO, YOUR GOD DEMANDS MICKEY D'S!"

Everyone sweatdropped as the bus passed by the McDonald's; except for Tsubaki who was humming a random tune happily, not at all phased.

Maka was currently sitting on the edge of her bunk, alternating between watching Patty play on the bunk across from her and making sure no fist fights broke out in the back of the bus, unless it was Liz 'defending her honor'.

"Hey, Patty?"

The younger blonde, who was joyously playing with some Transformers action figures, looked up the the singer curiously. "Yeah, Maka-channn~?"

"Do you know know how close we are to Atlanta?" The pigtailed girl questioned, shifting her gaze from her bickering friends to the slightly child-ish girl in front of her.

Patty giggled, waving her plastic-filled hands around wildly. "No, silly~! I'm busy with Starscream and Megatron! We're gonna paint the world yellow~!"

Maka rolled her eyes as a smile overtook her lips. "Alright, alright, I'll go ask Tsubaki." As she was about to walk away, a wicked thought came to her and she whirled back around to face the energetic girl.

"Hey Patty, don't tell anyone, but, I heard that Black Star's favorite color is yellow. I'm sure he would love it if you covered him in his favorite color!" Patty's smile widened and her eyes twinkled, "Roger that, Missy Maka~!"

Maka walked towards the driver's pit feeling mischievious and accomplished.

_Maybe this'll shut the blue-haired idiot up for awhile._

* * *

><p>Tsubaki was calmly listening to the radio when Maka reached the front of the bus. The only signs of fatigue were the faint bags under her eyes and her slightly rumpled hair that hadn't been washed in a day. Maka noticed that her friend's hair had been sloppily thrown into a messy ponytail; not the usual high one but a low bun-ish thing that didn't really hold her hair in place. Messy hair was a sure sign that Tsubaki wasn't feeling up to par.<p>

"Hey, Tsubaki. You feeling alright?" Maka's eyebrows scrunched together in concern as Tsubaki jumped slightly.

"Ahh, Maka-chan, I didn't hear you come up here. I'm okay, did you want something?"

"Well, I was going to ask how close we were to Atlanta, but, now I'm a little more concered about my best friend. What's up?"

Maka sat down next to her friend in the giant driver's seat; there was enough room for two people to fit in the driver's seat comfortably, without the driver being hindered.

"Well, we're actually only about half an hour away and, I just haven't been able to sleep much lately. It's nothing, really! I'm sorry to cause you any worry, Maka-chan." Maka frowned, not convinced by her friend's behavior.

"Tsubaki, you know you can tell me if something's wrong, I won't judge you." The blonde chided lightly.

"Well," Tsubaki sighed, "I have been having some rather odd thoughts and daydreams lately. It's really nothing.. just odd, if anything."

Maka eyes softened at her friend's confused expression but, as the bus started swerving she quickly focused and shook Tsubaki out of her daze before anything too horrendous could happen.

"Heh, sorry." There was a sheepish smile on the brunette's face though this time she remembered to keep her eyes on the road.

"So, you were saying something about odd dreams?" The blonde questioned, staring out the windshield at the passing scenery.

"Ahh, yes. It's kind of awkward, actually. But, I've been having dreams of a.. certain person."

"Black Star?" Maka deadpanned.

The ebony-haired girl blushed and stuttered out an answer. "We-well, yes. How could you have possibly known?"

Maka giggled lightly before turning to face her friend again. "It looked like you were flirting with him at the last gig. It was honestly just a guess, good for you though! Although, you could've chosen better." The shorter girl shivered slightly while the elder girl continued to blush.

"WHAT IS THIS? NOW MY GODLY HAIR WILL BE THE UNGODLY COLOR OF GREEN! NOOOOO!"

Both girls cringed at the loud yelling coming from behind them. _Speaking of said bad choice in males._

"Looks like Patty works quickly." Maka laughed worriedly while Tsubaki frowned and pulled off onto the shoulder of the road.

The comrades got out of their seat leisurely, not really eager to see what awaited them when they got to the others.

* * *

><p>Maka snickered; she couldn't help it.<p>

Black Star was ranting about his now 'ungodly hair'.

Liz was on her knees, crying waterfalls about how she was going to have to wash her hair _at least_ three times.

While Black Star ranted, Liz sobbed, and Maka and Tsubaki tried to contain their laughter, Patty was innocently playing with her action figures; not a spot of paint on her or her current obsessions.

Black was the first to respond, of course. "PATTY, HOW COULD YOU TREAT YOUR GOD IN SUCH AN UNGODLY WAY! I AM BANISHING YOU FROM THE MORTALS WITH THE PRIVILEGE OF HEARING MY VOICE!"

Liz, well, Liz was a heap of blonde, make-up, and endless tears on the cool, tiled floor; it didn't look like she would be using words for awhile.

Maka lost it. With a deep breath she broke out in not-exactly-melodious, full-fledged, booming laughter. Tsubaki politely covered her mouth while she giggled.

As she clutched her stomach the pig-tailed girl looked around before getting a confused look on her face.

"Wait, where are Ox and Harvar?"

Everyone stopped for a moment before Liz spoke semi-coherently. "Th-they said tha-at they were going wi-with your dad to get-," she stopped to sniffle, "supplies or whatever." With that, the self-assured blonde regained her composure and wiped angrily at her eyes.

Maka faceplamed. "Oh, yeah, I remember. Cool, we haven't lost anyone for awhile!"

The bus was silent, Liz had tied a bandana around Black Star's mouth since she'd regained her sanity, before the singer sighed and began to bark out orders.

"Jeez, don't just stand around! Liz and Patty go get cleaning supplies from the back of the bus! Tsubaki, can you take that bandana off of Black Star and make sure he cleans up before he makes a mess." Everything was said as a command and everyone quickly got to work.

Maka sighed before flopping down on a clean part of the floor. She couldn't wait for this mini-tour to be over.

_Until then, damn you traveling days._


End file.
